[beanmaestro]

My wife’s not reading piggington anymore, so…

She made it clear that she didn’t want a diamond, and would rather shop with me for an engagement ring, so I proposed without one. We went down to the nearest mall and ended up with a $160 ring with a tanzanite stone. We also bought her the runner-up ring, an $80 ring with a sapphire.

Her wedding band is a gold filigree design that cost $99, and that’s all she wears these days. Mine cost waaay more, since we had it custom made to match the pattern on hers.

She definitely *did* want the engagement ring, but she definitely didn’t want me to make us poor buying it.

[beanmaestro]

My wife’s not reading piggington anymore, so…

She made it clear that she didn’t want a diamond, and would rather shop with me for an engagement ring, so I proposed without one. We went down to the nearest mall and ended up with a $160 ring with a tanzanite stone. We also bought her the runner-up ring, an $80 ring with a sapphire.

Her wedding band is a gold filigree design that cost $99, and that’s all she wears these days. Mine cost waaay more, since we had it custom made to match the pattern on hers.

She definitely *did* want the engagement ring, but she definitely didn’t want me to make us poor buying it.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=bubble_contagion]She should have studied science, engineering or medicine. To make the US more competitive, financial assistance and scholarships should be limited to these majors only. Tuition and fees should be reduced for these majors and increased for all others.
[/quote]

Actually, the opposite is happening. UC Santa Barbara is charging a surcharge for science and engineering majors.

Personally, I think the answer is twofold: First, require all Lib Arts majors to take a career development class by their sophomore year, so they can start developing skills that will make them employable. Second, reduce faculty in Lib Arts and increase class size to compensate. Not to be punitive, just because universities have to cut costs going forward. Making Lib Arts majors a little less “friendly” might discourage lazier students from getting useless degrees just by inertia.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=bubble_contagion]She should have studied science, engineering or medicine. To make the US more competitive, financial assistance and scholarships should be limited to these majors only. Tuition and fees should be reduced for these majors and increased for all others.
[/quote]

Actually, the opposite is happening. UC Santa Barbara is charging a surcharge for science and engineering majors.

Personally, I think the answer is twofold: First, require all Lib Arts majors to take a career development class by their sophomore year, so they can start developing skills that will make them employable. Second, reduce faculty in Lib Arts and increase class size to compensate. Not to be punitive, just because universities have to cut costs going forward. Making Lib Arts majors a little less “friendly” might discourage lazier students from getting useless degrees just by inertia.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=bubble_contagion]She should have studied science, engineering or medicine. To make the US more competitive, financial assistance and scholarships should be limited to these majors only. Tuition and fees should be reduced for these majors and increased for all others.
[/quote]

Actually, the opposite is happening. UC Santa Barbara is charging a surcharge for science and engineering majors.

Personally, I think the answer is twofold: First, require all Lib Arts majors to take a career development class by their sophomore year, so they can start developing skills that will make them employable. Second, reduce faculty in Lib Arts and increase class size to compensate. Not to be punitive, just because universities have to cut costs going forward. Making Lib Arts majors a little less “friendly” might discourage lazier students from getting useless degrees just by inertia.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=bubble_contagion]She should have studied science, engineering or medicine. To make the US more competitive, financial assistance and scholarships should be limited to these majors only. Tuition and fees should be reduced for these majors and increased for all others.
[/quote]

Actually, the opposite is happening. UC Santa Barbara is charging a surcharge for science and engineering majors.

Personally, I think the answer is twofold: First, require all Lib Arts majors to take a career development class by their sophomore year, so they can start developing skills that will make them employable. Second, reduce faculty in Lib Arts and increase class size to compensate. Not to be punitive, just because universities have to cut costs going forward. Making Lib Arts majors a little less “friendly” might discourage lazier students from getting useless degrees just by inertia.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=bubble_contagion]She should have studied science, engineering or medicine. To make the US more competitive, financial assistance and scholarships should be limited to these majors only. Tuition and fees should be reduced for these majors and increased for all others.
[/quote]

Actually, the opposite is happening. UC Santa Barbara is charging a surcharge for science and engineering majors.

Personally, I think the answer is twofold: First, require all Lib Arts majors to take a career development class by their sophomore year, so they can start developing skills that will make them employable. Second, reduce faculty in Lib Arts and increase class size to compensate. Not to be punitive, just because universities have to cut costs going forward. Making Lib Arts majors a little less “friendly” might discourage lazier students from getting useless degrees just by inertia.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=CONCHO]Another reason kids aren’t majoring in engineering is because we have outsourced all the jobs. The news for the last 20+ years has been all about how engineering jobs are moving to India and China. Now if you’re a student graduating HS and looking for a career to take you through the next 40+ years, why would you choose one that seems to be dying off? While it’s true that there is still demand here, there isn’t a lot of demand for new grads. Many companies will post an opening asking for someone who has 10 years experience with everything under the sun at a salary of $80K/year. When they can’t find it they have their excuse to go to Wipro or Infosys.[/quote]

My experience in (semiconductor) engineering has been the complete opposite. Haven’t seen much non-IT outsourcing (and that’s gone to Texas, not India), and we’ve had job reqs open for months at a time in the last year. We’re still hiring new grads, and poaching unemployed talent where it can be had.

I’ve heard noise that by 2020, the US will only be educating enough engineers to fill 70% of domestic positions.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=CONCHO]Another reason kids aren’t majoring in engineering is because we have outsourced all the jobs. The news for the last 20+ years has been all about how engineering jobs are moving to India and China. Now if you’re a student graduating HS and looking for a career to take you through the next 40+ years, why would you choose one that seems to be dying off? While it’s true that there is still demand here, there isn’t a lot of demand for new grads. Many companies will post an opening asking for someone who has 10 years experience with everything under the sun at a salary of $80K/year. When they can’t find it they have their excuse to go to Wipro or Infosys.[/quote]

My experience in (semiconductor) engineering has been the complete opposite. Haven’t seen much non-IT outsourcing (and that’s gone to Texas, not India), and we’ve had job reqs open for months at a time in the last year. We’re still hiring new grads, and poaching unemployed talent where it can be had.

I’ve heard noise that by 2020, the US will only be educating enough engineers to fill 70% of domestic positions.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=CONCHO]Another reason kids aren’t majoring in engineering is because we have outsourced all the jobs. The news for the last 20+ years has been all about how engineering jobs are moving to India and China. Now if you’re a student graduating HS and looking for a career to take you through the next 40+ years, why would you choose one that seems to be dying off? While it’s true that there is still demand here, there isn’t a lot of demand for new grads. Many companies will post an opening asking for someone who has 10 years experience with everything under the sun at a salary of $80K/year. When they can’t find it they have their excuse to go to Wipro or Infosys.[/quote]

My experience in (semiconductor) engineering has been the complete opposite. Haven’t seen much non-IT outsourcing (and that’s gone to Texas, not India), and we’ve had job reqs open for months at a time in the last year. We’re still hiring new grads, and poaching unemployed talent where it can be had.

I’ve heard noise that by 2020, the US will only be educating enough engineers to fill 70% of domestic positions.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=CONCHO]Another reason kids aren’t majoring in engineering is because we have outsourced all the jobs. The news for the last 20+ years has been all about how engineering jobs are moving to India and China. Now if you’re a student graduating HS and looking for a career to take you through the next 40+ years, why would you choose one that seems to be dying off? While it’s true that there is still demand here, there isn’t a lot of demand for new grads. Many companies will post an opening asking for someone who has 10 years experience with everything under the sun at a salary of $80K/year. When they can’t find it they have their excuse to go to Wipro or Infosys.[/quote]

My experience in (semiconductor) engineering has been the complete opposite. Haven’t seen much non-IT outsourcing (and that’s gone to Texas, not India), and we’ve had job reqs open for months at a time in the last year. We’re still hiring new grads, and poaching unemployed talent where it can be had.

I’ve heard noise that by 2020, the US will only be educating enough engineers to fill 70% of domestic positions.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=CONCHO]Another reason kids aren’t majoring in engineering is because we have outsourced all the jobs. The news for the last 20+ years has been all about how engineering jobs are moving to India and China. Now if you’re a student graduating HS and looking for a career to take you through the next 40+ years, why would you choose one that seems to be dying off? While it’s true that there is still demand here, there isn’t a lot of demand for new grads. Many companies will post an opening asking for someone who has 10 years experience with everything under the sun at a salary of $80K/year. When they can’t find it they have their excuse to go to Wipro or Infosys.[/quote]

My experience in (semiconductor) engineering has been the complete opposite. Haven’t seen much non-IT outsourcing (and that’s gone to Texas, not India), and we’ve had job reqs open for months at a time in the last year. We’re still hiring new grads, and poaching unemployed talent where it can be had.

I’ve heard noise that by 2020, the US will only be educating enough engineers to fill 70% of domestic positions.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=burghMan]
The representative from USAA told me that they won’t insure for less than replacement value without any explanation. When I asked why this is a requirement, she seemed completely perplexed and just repeated that was the “rule.” Hardly what I would call “doing a good job” or “professional service.”

I’m a fool for just blindly accepting what some clueless phone rep tells me?

I know some people put USAA on a pedestal – and they are a great company for many things – but they aren’t perfect all the time.[/quote]

The quotes I got from USAA were actually 10-20% higher than the Farmer’s policy we got. The Farmer’s policy has a rider that lets you spend 50% more than the insured amount to rebuild (USAA had the same thing, but only for 25%). That let us insure for $200/sf while being covered for $300/sf rebuild.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=burghMan]
The representative from USAA told me that they won’t insure for less than replacement value without any explanation. When I asked why this is a requirement, she seemed completely perplexed and just repeated that was the “rule.” Hardly what I would call “doing a good job” or “professional service.”

I’m a fool for just blindly accepting what some clueless phone rep tells me?

I know some people put USAA on a pedestal – and they are a great company for many things – but they aren’t perfect all the time.[/quote]

The quotes I got from USAA were actually 10-20% higher than the Farmer’s policy we got. The Farmer’s policy has a rider that lets you spend 50% more than the insured amount to rebuild (USAA had the same thing, but only for 25%). That let us insure for $200/sf while being covered for $300/sf rebuild.

[beanmaestro]

[quote=burghMan]
The representative from USAA told me that they won’t insure for less than replacement value without any explanation. When I asked why this is a requirement, she seemed completely perplexed and just repeated that was the “rule.” Hardly what I would call “doing a good job” or “professional service.”

I’m a fool for just blindly accepting what some clueless phone rep tells me?

I know some people put USAA on a pedestal – and they are a great company for many things – but they aren’t perfect all the time.[/quote]

The quotes I got from USAA were actually 10-20% higher than the Farmer’s policy we got. The Farmer’s policy has a rider that lets you spend 50% more than the insured amount to rebuild (USAA had the same thing, but only for 25%). That let us insure for $200/sf while being covered for $300/sf rebuild.

[Author]

Posts